Decline of the Sukhothai Kingdom in the 1340s

Timeline

1. 1341–1346Sukhothai · SukhothaiSukhothai's control over vassals like Phitsanulok and Lampang continued to decline while local nobles and monastic groups gained influence. Though still a Buddhist center, the kingdom lacked the military and fiscal resources to suppress centrifugal forces.
2. 1347–1348Sukhothai · SukhothaiLithai ascended the throne in 1347 as an important late Sukhothai monarch. He continued Buddhist patronage and compiled works such as the Traiphum (Three Worlds), attempting to integrate the kingdom through religion and culture, but could not reverse the political decline.
3. 1348–1350Lower Chao Phraya · AyutthayaThe U Thong family's power in the lower Chao Phraya grew rapidly in the late 1340s, laying the foundation for Ayutthaya's founding in 1351. Sukhothai's control over the lower river became nominal only, and the shift of central Thailand's power center became irreversible.